Types of Diabetic Diets

People with diabetes find a variety of ways to help control their blood glucose levels. Along with physical activity and medication, the long term eating plan that a person chooses plays a very important role in the amount of insulin needed and the overall blood glucose variations that a person experiences throughout the day.

This is not a discussion of the short term weight loss plans that are often called “diets,” but the term “diet” that refers to a well-formulated, long-term plan to aid blood glucose control. Whichever eating plan you choose, the key to long-term success is a properly formulated daily food intake that provides all the essential nutrients. Weight loss may also be a benefit of your selected meal plan but that is not the focus.

Several of the most popular eating plans for diabetes management are low-carb, ketogenic, vegetarian, vegan, and carbohydrate counting.

Low-Carb

A diet low in carbohydrates for the treatment of diabetes is not new. In fact, low-carb eating was among the first treatments for diabetes long before the role of insulin was discovered and injectable insulin was developed. Eating low-carb is no substitution for insulin, but with the lower amount of carbohydrates consumed, a person may find they need less insulin and/or other diabetes medications. Dr. Richard K. Bernstein’s plan for low-carb/high protein eating is a popular low-carb plan for diabetes management.

Ketogenic

“Keto” as it’s often called, focuses on nutritional ketone production through very low carb/lower protein eating. To produce nutritional ketones, most people need to consume under 30 grams of carbohydrates per day. Please note that nutritional ketones from eating a diet very low in carbohydrates should not be confused with ketoacidosis (DKA) which is a very serious and potentially fatal condition.

The vast majority of calories consumed in a ketogenic diet come from animal and plant fats. This diet consists of consuming additional fats throughout the day to keep yourself feeling full. The terms “keto” and “low-carb” are often used interchangeably but are not the same, with very different requirements for protein and fat consumption. Keto is inherently low in carbohydrates but low-carb recipes do not always meet ketogenic criteria.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian diets can help with insulin resistance and protein spikes caused by gluconeogenesis (the metabolism of protein foods and the delayed rise in blood sugar levels that this produces). Vegetarian diets have many variations:

Ovo-lacto (includes eggs and dairy)

Pescatarian (includes fish and seafood)

Lacto (just dairy).

Vegetarians often consume bread, pasta, and standard grocery store brands that are meat-free, as well as a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

Vegan

A vegan diet consists of plant based foods only, with no animal products at all. This eliminates all animal fats and proteins from the diet and means no traditional dairy products and no eggs, even as ingredients within other foods like bread, pasta, etc. As with vegetarian diets, some find that they experience better insulin sensitivity when animal products are removed from the diet. Because no lower-carb animal foods are consumed, a vegan diet may be higher in overall carbohydrate intake. People practicing veganism get protein from plant sources.

Carbohydrate Counting

Carb counting is not usually considered a diet but an insulin treatment plan. Carb counting includes eating the standard diet and adjusting your insulin on an as-needed basis. This can be difficult to estimate, especially during times of snacking or with irregular meal times/food items.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to diabetes management and the eating plan that suits your needs. There are many people finding success with personalized meal plans but you need to find what works best for you. Do your research, talk to others who are following a certain eating plan for diabetes management and focus on blood glucose improvement over weight loss.